Closure member



Aug. 28, 1945. J. E. SHARP CLOSURE MEMBER Filed Oct. 22, 1943 INVENTOR. Jail 5 61 ar a Patented Aug. 28', 1945 CLOSURE MEMBER John E. Sharp, New Kensington, 2a., assignor to Alumln um Company of America, Pittsburgh,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 22, 1943, Serial No. 507,245

4 Claims. (Cl. 215-97) This invention relates to two piece closures of the type which include a glass or metal cover adapted to seal the mouth of a container and an over-closure adapted to fit upon and partially enclose said cover and to cooperate with threads, lugs or similar means formed on the container to force said cover tightly on the container mouth and to hold it thereon in sealing position.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved over-closure of this type which is of simple, light and rugged construction. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be mentioned in, or will be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, in' which is illustrated a closure member embodying the principles of this invention,

Fig. ,1 is a perspective view of said over-closure member;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken through the closure member; I

Fig. 3 is a vertical partial sectional view taken through the upper part of the container upon which the closure member of Fig. 1 is mounted in a position preliminary to final sealing; and

Fig.4 is a vertical partial sectional view showing the same elements as shown in Fig. 3 with the closure member seated in final sealing position.

Referring to the drawing, in which lik numerals designate like parts, the two piece closure comprises a cover I, usually formed of glass, and the closure member 2 made of light gauge metal. The cover I is shaped to rest upon and seal the mouth of the container 3, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and cooperates with a sealing gasket, 4 to effect a tight hermetic seal wh'en forced downwardly upon the container mouth by the closure member 2. The closure member 2, which is examplary of closure members of the type to which this invention particularly relates, comprises a top disk-like portion 5 from which depends a flange 6 to form a circular skirt. Screw threads I formed in said skirt cooperate withthreads 8 formed on the neck of the container and are examplary of the varied and usual means by which a closure can be fastened to and looked upon a container. Located in the top portion 5 of the closure member 2 is an opening 9 of approximately oblong form. This opening, which is desirably but not necessarily located centrally in the top portion, is of a usual type found in the art and is shaped to not only present a. decorative appearance but also to leave substantial areas of the top portion 5 intact in order to allow said top portion to press firmly on the cover I during and after the sealing operation. However, experience has shown that such oblong-like openings ofier a point of weakness in that the metal surroundin the opening tends to distort under the pressure of sealing with the result that after one or more uses the closure member 2 no longer efliciently performs its function and must be discarded. This condition is aggravated when one-piece closure members of this type are struck from very thin gauge metal, which latter is, of course, desirably used in order to reduce the cost of the closure member to the consumer.

In order to overcome this weakness and to allow the use of thin gauge metal as a material for such closure members, I provide in the top portion 5 of the closure the tworibs positioned in the following manneni Each rlblllis struck from the metal of the closure'andrises at or near a point central to a long side of the oblong opening. From there it proceedsat approximately right angles to the longitudinal'axis of the opening 9 to the edge or a point adjacent the edge of the top portion 5. In the preferred form the width of ribs lllincreasesuniformly from the edge of the opening 9 to the'edge of the top portion 5 to th'us take the wedge-shapedform shown in the drawing. If desired, the top portion of the closure member 2 may likewise be provided with continuou rib II and I2 which offer a further strengthening efiect atthe rim of the closure member. and around the edge of the, opening 9 formed therein, but such ribs ar not necessary in the practice of this invention and are optional. Byreason of the ribs ID the top of the closure member 2 is greatly strengthened and failure of the closure member in use is considerably minimized. Such ribs may be readily struck into the top of the closure member at the time the memher is formed. Their use allows the employment of light gauge metal-in theconstruction of the closure and decreases the manufacturingcost of such closures.-

In the home packaging of certain foods the present practice is to screw the over-closure downwardly to effect a tight hermetic seal and then to loosen it slightly to allow the'pressure generated by the heat of cooking to escape. In such processing vacuum begins to form immediately when the jar of hot food is removed from the 2 tion, the loosening of theclosure to a position such 1 as that shown'in Fig. 3 will allow-the pressure generated by the heat or cooking to escape. That portion of the rim or the opening 9 which is reinforced by rib "may be left in contact with the curved cover I, even though the closurecis slightly loosened, to create resilient pressure onthe said cover and its gasket 4 which will not be suflicient to prevent the escapeoi pressure built up during 'thecookingprocessbut which will be suiiicient to holdthe cover I and the gasket 4 tightly. enough against the lip oi! the container 3 to preportion depending therefrom to tom a circular skirt, said top portion having centrally formed vent escape of vacuum in that period between the removing oi'the hot container from the water and the final retightening of the closure. 4

"' 'It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form or theclosure member herein illustrated and described without departure from the essential principles'and advantages of this invention andwithin the scope of the appended claims such changes are contemplated.

I claim:

1. A one piece .closure member adapted to secure and holds cover upon a container, said member comprising a top portion and a flange portion depending therefrom to iorma circular skirt, said top portion having formed therein an oblong-like opening each long side 01' which is strengthened by a rib struck in said top portion, each said rib extending in a direction approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said opening from a point central to a long side of the opening to a point adjacent the edge of said.

top portion.

2. A one piece closure member adapted to secure and hold a cover upon a container, said member comprising a top portion and a flange therein an oblong-like opening eachlong side of which is strengthened by a rib struck in said top portion, each said rib extending in a direction approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said opening from a pointQ ntra-Lto a long side of the opening to a point adjacent edge or said top portion;

.3. A one piece closure member adapted to secure and hold a cover upon a container, said member comprising a top .portion and "a flange portion dependingthereirom to form a circular "skirt, said top portion having iormed therein. an

oblong-like opening each long side of which is strengthened by a rib struck in said top portion, each said rib extending in a direction approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis 01 said opening from a point central to a long side iii oi the opening to a point adjacent the edge-oi said top portion, each rib increasing in width toward the edge of said top portion.

4. A one piece closure member adapted to secure and hold a cover upon a container, said member comprising a top portion and a flange portion depending therefrom to form a circular skirt, said top portion having centrally formed therein an oblong-like opening each long side of 

